


So that's your excuse?

by Czechyourself



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski Finds Out About Derek/Stiles Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27806314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Czechyourself/pseuds/Czechyourself
Summary: Sheriff Stilinski finds out about Derek and Stiles' relationship and he's worried about their age difference and whether it's fully consensual. Ultimately, he wants what's best for Stiles.A one-shot in the Sheriff's office.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 4
Kudos: 194





	So that's your excuse?

**Author's Note:**

> Derek is 22 and Stiles is 15. That's illegal and not okay, so don't do that in real life.

It wasn’t rare for Stiles to get a message from his dad telling him to come to the station for something, but it wasn’t common enough either for Stiles not to get apprehensive when it did happen. And usually his dad told him something about what it was; he wanted to tell Stiles something, he wanted to show him something, he just wanted to talk. If it was serious, his dad would usually call him. But this time, it was just “come to the station at 2:00”, and Stiles was lost when it came to what it was for. Had someone died? He hoped not, but his brain liked to jump to the worst conclusions first, to get them out of the way. Was Scott in trouble and he gave Stiles as his alibi? Or maybe his dad was having one of those emotionally-sensitive moments and just wanted to have a late lunch with him? That one had been happening more and more recently, but it still felt unlikely.

  
It was a long bike ride to the station, and by the time he was pulling into the parking lot, he’d come up with a few plausible alibis for the past few days, in case he needed them. If anyone asked, of course he was hanging out with Scott last night and that afternoon, and the day before as well. His dad wouldn’t know if it was true or not, since he worked all afternoon and night.

Walking into the station, Stiles threw a quick glance over at Derek’s desk. He usually had the chance to give him a quick smile before he made it to his dad’s office, which was as much public affection as they could show, but when he did, Derek wasn’t there. It was weird, because this was definitely Derek’s shift, and Derek had been complaining for weeks that he still hadn’t been allowed on patrol duty. Derek definitely would have told him if he’d finally been given a car and a patrol beat.

The blinds on his dad’s office windows were down and the door was closed. Stiles checked the time: 2:02. He was right on time, so he hoped that he wouldn’t be disturbing anything important his dad was doing. When he knocked, his dad called for him to come in. As Stiles came in, his dad got up from behind his desk.

“Close the door behind you, Stiles,” he said, gesturing for Stiles to come in and take the chair in front of him. Stiles half closed the door behind him before he stopped. Sitting in the second chair, eyes as wide as Stiles’ felt, was Derek. He moved to stand up, but Stiles’ dad stopped him. “Not yet, Derek. I’d like to talk to the both of you.” Derek slowly sunk back into the chair, and Stiles looked back at his dad. He was still gesturing to the open chair in front of him. “Close the door and then take a seat, Stiles,” he said again.

Stiles pushed the door slowly closed behind him and settled quickly in the open chair, avoiding looking at Derek completely. His dad sat down too, scooting up to the desk and clasping his hands in front of them. Stiles focused his attention intensely on the blank wall behind his dad’s head.

His dad sat in silence for a moment before clearing his throat loudly and resettling himself in his chair.

“You two are seeing each other.”

The words cut through the air and then hung there. Stiles opened his mouth, but couldn’t find any words. Derek inhaled sharply but Stiles’ dad raised his hand authoritatively, keeping the heavy silence sitting over them.

“I don’t want you to deny it,” his dad said, looking at Derek and clasping his hands on the table again. He looked over to Stiles as he continued, “I went home to get a change of clothes on Friday and Derek’s car was in the driveway.”

“That doesn’t—“ Stiles started, before his dad raised his hand again, and Stiles swallowed the rest of his objection.

“I don’t want you to deny it,” he said again.

Stiles looked over to Derek and watched as his shoulders sunk and he buried his face in his hands, groaning softly.

“I saw his car in the driveway, and I’ve seen your bike at his apartment.” His dad shifted in his chair again, clearing his throat. “I wasn’t sure it was yours at the time, but I’m sure now.”

Stiles looked down at his hands, fidgeting with them frantically. He couldn’t find any excuses, and couldn’t bring himself to deny it again.

“What I want to know,” his dad said, “is how long this has been going on. And I want Derek to tell me.”

Derek grumbled something Stiles couldn’t hear, his face still buried in his hands.

“Speak up, Derek,” his dad leaned forward in his chair, and even the loud squeak of the wheels couldn’t cut through the heavy air. “I saw Stiles’ bike at your apartment two months ago, so I want to know how long this has been going on.”

Derek took his face out of his hands, and Stiles could see that his eyes were red and there were tears on his cheeks. His posture, usually tall and firm and full of confidence was fully deflated now. His shoulders were low and sloped; his back was curled up, like a puppy about to be kicked, a new Derek that Stiles had never seen before. Stiles looked back down at his hands. “Four months, sir,” Derek said, his voice scratchy.

“Four months,” his dad repeated, the chair creaking again as he turned toward Stiles. Stiles didn’t take his eyes off his hands as they fidgeted, but he nodded slightly. The chair creaked away again. “You know Stiles is fifteen,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, sir,” Derek said.

“And you thought it was a good idea anyways?”

Derek didn’t respond, and after a moment, the chair creaked toward Stiles.

“He didn’t coerce you? He didn’t—“ his dad’s voice was softer now, but the words were repulsive. The taste of bile spread into his mouth as he found his voice again.

“No!” Stiles looked up as he spoke, meeting his dad’s eyes, as soft as his voice, but surprised. Derek started in the chair beside him, taking his face out of his hands to look over at Stiles for the first time. Stiles was shocked at the vehemence in his own voice. “No,” he said again, this time more quietly. “It wasn’t like that.”

“I wouldn’t—“ Derek started, his voice quiet and low. But when the Sheriff’s hand was raised again, Derek and Stiles both stopped, leaving the same silence hanging over them. He slowly turned his chair, silently, back toward Derek.

“Don’t insist on your virtue to me, Hale,” his dad said, his hands on his desk clasping and turning white. Stiles watched as Derek slumped a little more in the chair, his gaze moving to the floor. “If Stiles says you didn’t coerce him, I’m willing to trust him. But don’t pretend to me that you didn’t know this was wrong.” There was a pause, and Derek didn’t move. “I mean for god’s sake, Derek, he’s fifteen!”

“I know, sir,” Derek said.

“And you’re a fucking deputy. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

His dad sighed heavily. “So what then? Did you even think about what this could do to you if anyone found out? Or what it could do to Stiles?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “I thought about that all the time.”

His dad leaned back in his chair, making it creak again noisily. His eyes were wide. “So you thought about it, and decided it was worth it. For what, a lay?”

“No.” Derek finally looked up from the floor. “That’s not what it was about. That’s not what Stiles is. Stiles—“ Derek looked over to Stiles. His eyes were still red but they were filled with strong determination. His shoulders were less slumped than before, and his posture was lifting.

“Stiles is…” as his voice trailed off, Stiles’ dad leaned back in toward Derek.

Derek sat up tall in the chair and met the Sheriff’s eyes. “Stiles is the most amazing guy I’ve ever met. He isn’t just some lay.”

“So that’s your excuse?”

“It’s not an excuse,” Derek said, deflating a little. “It’s just the truth. It isn’t just sex, I—“ Derek looked over at Stiles again before finishing. “I love him.” Derek didn’t look back to the Sheriff after finishing. He shrunk a little back into his chair.

The silence lasted for a few seconds, and Stiles stared at Derek. He and Derek had never used the L-word before, but he was sure that’s what he felt about Derek. He’d been afraid to use it first, thinking Derek wasn’t ready for it, but had he been thinking the same thing?

“You love him,” the Sheriff repeated. “You love Stiles?”

“Yes,” Derek said.

“I love him too, dad,” Stiles said, wanting to move his dad’s gaze away from where it was boring into Derek’s head. His dad turned to look at him with wide eyes, and Derek did the same. His admission was a surprise to him too, but he’d been wanting to say it out loud for weeks, and doing it was like lifting a huge weight off his shoulders.

The same heavy silence sat over them for a moment, as Derek looked at Stiles with watery eyes, and his dad sat back in his chair and rubbed his face with his hands, looking lost for words and unsure how to go on for the first time. “So…”

“Sir, if—“ Derek said, turning toward the Sheriff, but stopping when he raised his hand.

The Sheriff leaned forward and pressed his fingers to his forehead, bracing himself with his elbows on the desk. He took a deep breath before speaking. “Derek, I’m going to ask you some questions. I expect you to answer them honestly.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ve had sex with my son.”

“Yes, sir,” Derek answered, even though it wasn’t phrased like a question.

“And you received his consent before you had sex with him.”

“Dad—“ Stiles said, before being interrupted by the hand of silence.

“I was asking Derek,” his dad said, moving his hand back to support his head. There was a pause before Derek responded.

“Yes, sir. I would never force him.”

“Did you use protection?”

Stiles looked over to Derek and saw that he was turning red too.

“No, sir. But—“ The hand stopped Derek again.

“You’ve had unprotected sex with my fifteen year old son.”

“Yes, sir. But—“ Hand.

“More than once?”

“Yes, sir. But—“ Hand.

“This hole is getting deeper and deeper, Hale.” Stiles could see his dad pressing harder into his forehead, his fingers and the skin there on his head turning white. “Tell me the ‘but’.”

“I’m clean, sir,” Derek said, less confidently than he seemed with his first ‘but’. “I got tested before our first time.” There was a pause. “And we’re exclusive,” he added, closing off another loophole.

“Have you had sex anywhere other than my house and your apartment?”

“No, sir.”

“Good,” he said, before taking another deep breath and giving himself one last hard press to the temples. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” he said, leaning forward in his chair, the squeak sounding very soft now. “But in the future, I want you to confine your activities to my house alone. Do you understand?”

His dad was talking directly to Derek, but Stiles was the first to respond. “Wait, do you—“ but his dad’s hand stopped him.

“I’m asking both of you this. Do you understand?”

Stiles and Derek both nodded, and then looked at each other. The confusion was apparent on Derek’s face.

“Good,” the Sheriff said. “I won’t lie. Your age difference makes me uncomfortable, and I’m not sure Stiles is old enough for this yet. The law says he isn’t, but he says he is. I trust him, so I’ll let you two continue seeing each other for now.” Stiles was more confused and more relieved now than he’d ever been before, and he reached out to take Derek’s hand. “But there will be some ground rules.”

“Yes, sir,” Derek said immediately, squeezing Stiles’ hand tightly.

“You,” he said, looking at Stiles, “will tell me whenever you’re hanging out with Derek. I know you’ve lied to me before about visiting Scott and going to Derek’s instead. You won’t do it again.”

“Okay,” Stiles said, “I’m sorry, dad.”

“You,” he said, this time turning to Derek, “will ask my permission before you come into my house. Every time. I don’t want to come home again and be surprised that you’re there.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You,” turning back to Stiles, “will keep your grades up. If I think that your relationship is becoming a distraction, I will add more restrictions.” Stiles nodded. “And you,” he said, turning back to Derek, “will keep your work here to the same standard I’ve expected of you so far. Don’t expect special treatment.”

“No, sir.”

“I expect you to treat him well.”

“I will, sir.”

“Good.” He took a deep breath again before pushing himself up out of his chair. “Go home, Hale. You have the rest of the day off.” He gestured over to Stiles. “I need to talk to Stiles alone.”

Derek stood up shakily, and moved around Stiles’ chair to the door. He hesitated for a moment, looking over to the Sheriff, before leaning down and pecking Stiles quickly on the lips.

As he reached for the door handle, the Sheriff spoke again. “I expect my son’s boyfriend to be at our house this Wednesday for dinner. I’ll be sure you have the evening off.”

“Thank you, sir.” Derek lowered his head as he left the office, closing the door behind him.

When they were alone, Stiles turned back towards his dad, who leaned back against the wall, pressing his fingers into his forehead again. They were quiet for a while, Stiles lost in his confusion and joy, and his dad clearly lost in thought.

“Are you happy, Stiles?” His dad’s voice was quiet, and he didn’t remove his fingers from his forehead.

“Yes,” Stiles said. It was a simple question, but it didn’t always have a simple answer. But right now, and how his dad meant it, ‘yes’ was enough. He was happier with Derek than he’d ever been before.

“What brought you to him?” Another simple question.

Stiles thought about it, and whether it had a simple answer. What had first brought him to Derek? Was it his looks? Maybe, Stiles had definitely noticed Derek’s look right away, but there was more to it than that, right from the beginning. He’d gotten something from Derek that he’d had trouble finding elsewhere, something Derek was amazing at giving. “He’s supportive. He cares about me.”

His dad nodded slowly, moving back into his chair. “So it isn’t just physical.”

“No,” Stiles said.

“Good.” His dad nodded slowly to himself, then shook his head. “I can’t believe I did that.” He shook his head some more before taking his hands away from his forehead and looking toward Stiles again. “But he’s good for you, and you’re happy with him?”

Stiles smiled. “Yeah. Very.”

His dad nodded again slowly, then smiled faintly. “I’m serious about the dinner this Wednesday. I expect Derek to be there and to make a good impression.”

Stiles just smiled wider. He knew Derek would make a great impression.


End file.
